Solid-link knife-jointed chain.



No. 844,869, PATENTED FEB.19. 1907.

H. A. HOUSE. SOLID LINK KNIFE JOINTED CHAIN.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T.24, 1905- ,LQATTQRNEY rm: NORRIS PEYERS Cl. wasnmcnm. a c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SOLID-LINK KNIFE-JOINTED CHAIN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1907.

. Application filed October 24, 1905. Serial No. 284,188.

To all whom item/y concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. IIOUS'E, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, havejnvented certain new and useful Improvements in Solid-Link Knife-Jointed Chains, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to chains; and it consists, essentially, in a chain having a solid drag-link coupled to a loop-link by knifeedge connections and adapted to be used as an ordinary drive-chain or a sprocket-chain.

To enable others to understand my invention, reference is had to the following drawings, in whic I Figure 1 represents an upper plan view of a section of my improved chai Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the chain-section shown at Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a central sectional view of two drag-links and side elevation of two looplinks. Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of one of the solid drag-links. Fig. 5 is a detail upper plan view of one of the loop-links with the connecting-piece removed. F 6 is a detail plan view of the connectingpiece. Fig. 7 is an upper plan view of a section of a bicyclechain, showing a modified construction of the chain shown at Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the bicycle-chain shown at Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a detail side elevation of one of the loop-links of the bicycle-chain. Fig. 10 is a detail plan view of one of the solid links of the bicycle-chain.

Its construction and operation are as follows: The solid drag-links of my improved chain consists of the side bars 1 and 2, Fig. 4, and the stay-blades or cross-bars 3 and l, integral with and connecting said side bars to make a solid link. These stay-blades or cross-bars (see also Fig. 3) are provided. with the knife-edge bearingpoints 3 and l, adapted to engage a knife-edge seat of the loop-links 5, presently to be described. These loop-links are provided with the angular ends 5 with the V-shaped seat 5 to form a bearing point or seat for the knifeedge stay-links or cross-bars of the draglinks. These V-shaped seats are preferably located below the center of the looplinks,so as to bring the line of strain or center of pull as near as possible to the bottom or strongest part of the link, it being understood, however, that sull'icient space must be left to give pcrfect freedom of action to the chain in passing over a small sprocketvheel or other body.

As the drag-links are solid, I have provided a novel method of threading them to the loop-links. In the construction shown at Fig s. 1, 2, 3, and 5 the loop-links can, in the fi; st inst:.nce, be made solid and separated at the top by puncling out the stock to form the irrcglilarlysinwped opening 5, Fig. 5, tire piece TGHLOVCd or punched out being s icwn 6, Fig. 6. The drag-links and looplinks are then threaded together by pissing one end of each of said drag-links tnough the opening 5 in the top of the loop-links, and tne punching 6 is replaced in to cpen ing 5 to form a connecting or looking piece a .1 I v lOl tie free ones of tie loop-links. IVlen these locking-pieces are reinserted, the edges can be riveted over slightly to prevent them accidentally dropping out, or they can be sccured in position in any other suitable and convenient manner. I may, however, pre- [or to make these locking-pieces of an irregu lar shape, so as to tl'iorougnly and effectually brace the free ends of the loop-links against side displacement, so that, in effect, the looplinks wncn the locking-pieces are secured in place are, practically speaking, solid links. In using the chain just dcsciibcd for a sprocket chain the sprocket tooth (not siown) will enter the space A, Fig. 1, between the ends 5 of the loop-links. hcse ends being rounded will serve t'ie same purpose as rollers in p ssing over the sprockettccth. The drag-links being made solid that is, made of a single piece of metal is much stronger than the ordinary built-up drag-link or link composed of several parts, for some of these separable parts must necessarily be weak, which would leave the chain no stronger than its weakest part. being practically no IROVOHCIIE at the extreme bearing-points of the knife-edge connections between the drag and loop-links of my iniproved chain, t ere will be no perceptible wear at these points, and therefore there can be no undue stretching or lengthening of the chain. Further, t ere being no wear on thcsc knife-edges, no oil will be required.

In the modified construction shown at Figs. 7, S, 9, and 10 the same general construction of the solid drag-link and loop-link is shown as in the views just described, except that the loop-links 7 have the bridges 8 spanning the openings between the free ends of said links. The drag-links 9 also have the knife, edges 9 at their ends to engage with the V- shaped seats 7 of the loop-links. When Th ere IlO for the knife-edge bearing-points oi the draglinks, for the purpose set forth.

used as a sprocket-chain, the sprocket-Wheel (not shown) Will enter the opening B of the drag-links.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. In a chain of the character described, solid drag-links having a central opening, and knife-edge bearing-points facing said opening, loop-links having V-shaped seats links, the upper portion of the loop-links provided With a ten:.porary opening to admit the drag-links, a locking-piece to close said opening and support the free ends of the loop- 2. In a chain of the character described, drag-links made of a single piece of metal, having knife-edge bearing-points thereon,

loop-links having a temporary opening to admit the drag-links, a locking-piece to close j said opening, said loop-links having V- shaped seats for the knife-edge bearingpoints of the drag-links, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a chain of the character described. drag-links made of a single piece of metal having knife-edge bearing-points thereon, loop-links having an irregular-shaped telnporary opening therein to admit the draglinks, an irregular-shaped lockingpiece for said opening, said loop-links having V shaped seats for the knife-edge bearingpoints of the drag-links, for the purpose set rortii.

Signed at Bridgeport, in the county of Feirfield and State of Connecticut, this 2d day of October, A. D. 1905. I

HENRY A. HOUSE.

I/Vitnesses:

J. N. RANGE, GEORGE W. FINN. 

